Whenever people talk about cult shows that have a passionate fanbase, one of the ones that come to mind is NBC’s Chuck. The spy comedy series delivered the laughs, thrilling action, and shocking plot twists you want from the genre but also had so many nods to popular nerd culture. Though it was never a ratings hit, the show stuck around because of the loyal fanbase.
Like most shows, Chuck had its highs and lows. At times, it was among the most creative and impressive things on television, and at other times, it felt like it wasn’t up to the high levels that fans had become accustomed to. That makes it interesting to see which seasons have the best average ratings on IMDb.
Season 1 (8.3)
It says a lot about the quality of this show that the worst season still clocks in with an average score of 8.3. Season 1 of Chuck was a place where it did have some lesser episodes while getting its footing. “Chuck Versus The Helicopter” (8.0) is good but it didn’t quite have the Chuck/Sarah/Casey dynamic down yet. Even the lowest-scoring episode of the season, “Chuck Versus The Sizzling Shrimp” (7.9) is still a highly entertaining 42 minutes of TV.
A lot of this season was simply setting the tone and establishing who these characters are. It still brought greatness like the Bryce Larkin arc of “Chuck Versus The Alma Mater” (8.6), “Chuck Versus The The Truth” (8.7), and “Chuck Versus The Nemesis” (8.6). The romance between Sarah and Chuck quickly became one of TV’s all-time best “will they/won’t they” dynamics.
Season 5 (8.4)
A show that got the kind of ratings each week that Chuck did often wouldn’t sniff 100 episodes. However, it was announced that the fifth season would be the final one, bringing the episode count up to 91. The series got surprisingly experimental with this last season. Starting with “Chuck Versus The Zoom,” (8.2) it had to deal with Morgan Grimes as the Intersect, while “Chuck Versus The Baby” (8.5) shed new light on Sarah’s past.
Most impressively, the biggest chances taken came in the two-part series finale. The show ran a storyline where Sarah loses her memory and every feeling she had built up over the years for Chuck, who continues to fight to get back his love. It’s an emotional and somewhat controversial plot point. Still, the results were great as “Chuck Versus Sarah” and “Chuck Versus The Goodbye” both scored very high (9.1 and 9.3, respectively).
Season 4 (8.5)
Since Chuck didn’t bring in huge viewership numbers, it was always on the brink of cancellation. So, there are several points that feel like it could’ve worked as a series finale. That was the case twice during the fourth season. The incredible “Chuck Versus The Push Mix” (9.3) could’ve been the ending as it culminates the Alexei Volkoff storyline, brings Chuck’s mom back to the family, sees Ellie give birth, and has Chuck propose to Sarah.
However, NBC ordered more episodes and season four continued. Lauren Cohan was a welcome guest star as Alexei’s daughter Vivian but this back half was less well-received than what came before. There were some true highlights in “Chuck Versus The Wedding Planner” (8.7), “Chuck Versus the Last Details” (8.8), and the shocking finale, “Chuck Versus The Cliffhanger” (9.2).
Season 2 (8.7)
For many, season 2 was Chuck at its peak. Every installment seemed to drive the Chuck and Sarah romance closer but keeps them just far enough apart. There are things that shouldn’t work but come off excellently. For example, Nicole Richie made for a surprisingly great guest star in “Chuck Versus The Cougars” (8.8), and then an episode surrounding music by Rush and an arcade game, “Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer,” (8.7) was somehow a blast. Jordana Brewster, Chevy Chase, Gary Cole, Tony Hale, and Michael Clarke Duncan made up some of the best guest actors in series history. They even got Robert Englund for a horror episode.
It’s hard to top the Die Hard homage, complete with Reginald VelJohnson in “Chuck Versus Santa Claus” (9.1) or the stunning reveal that Chuck’s father was the mysterious Orion. It all comes to a head in some of the most gripping TV of the era. Chuck must go on the run and Sarah goes with him with Casey hunting them down. “Chuck Versus The Colonel” (9.5) and “Chuck Versus The Ring” (9.6) ended the season on the highest of notes while seeing Chuck get a new Intersect with even more special abilities. It also threw down the gauntlet, wrapping up with a “to be continued” tag despite the show not officially being renewed.
Season 3 (8.8)
Thankfully, after the shocking conclusion to season 2, Chuck made good on that potential with a tremendous season 3. Chuck’s new Intersect allowed him to have the skills to become a real spy, which he chose to try instead of running away with Sarah. That set up more “will they/won’t they” for the couple, which included them showing interest in other characters played by Brandon Routh and Kristin Kreuk. Routh’s Daniel Shaw ultimately became one of Chuck’s greatest rivals.
There are so many fantastic episodes in this season, from “Chuck Versus The Beard” (9.2) where Morgan discovers his best friend’s secret to “Chuck Versus The Honeymooners” (9.1) where Chuck and Sarah go on something of a vacation as a couple. “Chuck Versus The Other Guy” (9.5) was an episode that could’ve marked the end of the series since Chuck and Sarah finally got together but the show returned for more installments. It then still ended on a high note with “Chuck Versus the Subway” (9.4) and “Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II” (9.5).
